The short answer
Possibly. If the home has NHBC Buildmark, the first two years after completion rest with the builder, and insurance for a further eight years then applies to certain parts of the house. That does not add up to ten years from the builder. Contact the builder first, check your documents for what is covered and photograph the defect before anyone repairs it.
How the ten years are split
NHBC Buildmark is a warranty scheme found on new homes. It works in two phases: a builder warranty for two years from completion, then insurance for a further eight years covering defects in listed parts of the building.
The split matters. During the first phase the builder puts right defects that fall within the warranty. In the second phase the insurance takes over, and it is limited to certain parts, not everything in the house.
It is easy to read it as ten years of builder responsibility, and that is wrong. Terms also differ between the two stages, so the level of cover is not the same throughout.
Not every new home has Buildmark. Some have a different warranty provider, and some, such as older homes or conversions, have none. Your completion documents show which applies to you, and the warranty booklet or policy sets out exactly what it covers.
Roofs are one of the parts people expect to be covered, but the details are in the policy: what counts as a defect, how long a particular element is covered and what is excluded as wear, damage or poor maintenance.
Read the wording for your home before assuming anything, and ask NHBC or your warranty provider if it is unclear.
Who to contact first
Start with the builder if the home is in its first two years. Report the defect in writing, with photographs and a clear description of where water is getting in, and keep a dated copy.
If the home is past that point, or if the builder does not respond, contact NHBC or your warranty provider. The booklet gives the route for making a claim, and the time limits that apply, so do not wait.
Hold off arranging your own repair. A provider may want to inspect the defect as it stands, and independent work can complicate a claim. Where rain is entering, protect the home with a temporary measure, with photographs of the damage and of that work.
Your warranty is not the same as home insurance, and the two are separate policies, so ask each what it expects of you.
No one can promise a result. Whether a claim succeeds depends on the terms of the cover and on the facts, and the decision is the provider's.
We can help by looking at the roof and describing, with photographs, what we see. Our page on whether home insurance covers a roof replacement explains the separate insurance side.
What roof faults are typical on a young house
A roof only a few years old can still leak, and the cause usually lies in a handful of details. Flashings at chimneys, walls and dormers can be poorly fixed. Ridge and hip tiles may be loosely bedded. Verge tiles can lift. Valleys and gutters may be badly formed or set at the wrong fall, and an eaves detail can let water behind the gutter.
Some faults are workmanship, some are materials and some are things the house does as it settles. Which one applies is a matter for the provider's inspector, and for the policy wording.
Condensation in a new loft is another common complaint. It can look like a leak, and the cause is ventilation or air leakage from the house, not the covering. Our page on condensation in the loft explains how to tell them apart.
When you report a defect, say what you see and when, and avoid guessing the cause. Photograph the stains inside and the roof from the ground, and note whether damp appears only after rain.
What the cover may include is set out in your documents, not in general advice. Look at what is said about roofs, about cosmetic damage and about upkeep that stays with the owner, such as clearing gutters.
Retain every letter, email and photograph in one file, with dates. A claim is easier when the record is clear.
Where we fit in
If your home is under warranty, speak to the builder or provider before calling any roofer. Once the warranty route is settled, or if the cover has ended, we can survey the roof.
We measure and photograph the roof, identify the likely cause and explain it in plain words. That evidence can be useful to you, if you are making a claim or paying for a repair yourself.
Where a repair is needed and you are free to arrange it, you receive a single written total, with a clear view on whether a small repair will do. Water coming in is stopped first.
Handling a claim is for you and your provider, and nobody can promise it will succeed. What the roof shows can be explained.
The roof replacement hub explains our wider work on roofs of all ages around Farnborough, Aldershot and Fleet.
